The Stranger Camus (Review)

A man whose life is wholly dedicated to the derelict and determined mindset, meanders through his life from one morbid scene to the next. Albert Camus created a deep sense of emptiness in his writing of this man’s life.  In the first person the book starts off with his mother’s funeral to which he gets two days added to his weekend to go to it. He takes his leave and goes to the funeral but through it all he is disconnected and un-moved by his mother’s death. When he got there he found that the home at which she had lived, closed her in the casket. When he made it there he was asked if he wished to see his mother one last time before she was buried. To which he answered “no”. Through the funeral and procession Camus makes it evident that he doesn’t care. The following day after the funeral he goes back to his home and spends the day with his girlfriend Marie. They go about the city, to the beach, the movies, and to food. About the middle of the day Marie asks him about his mother and then is disturbed by his answer. This event was put their I believe to show the wantonness of this man.  Further through the book the reader is shown his lifestyle, his work and the people he associates with. The reader is introduced to his neighbor who is a pimp. Raymond asks for his help in writing a letter to a mistress who had done him wrong. Which led to Raymond a few days later beating this woman and being confronted by the police to which he lets the girl go. Raymond through the story refers to him and himself as the best of pals, Camus then brings the reader through his mental processes of thinking about how much it really didn’t matter to him and he only agrees with Raymond because he believes that it will please him. As the story progresses he is brought into a conflict between Raymond and his past mistresses brother. There are some resulting conflicts, two to be precise. The first begins on the beach, resulting in Raymond getting cut up with a knife and the enemies leave. Then later that day at the beach Raymond goes out to find them again and he follows him. Raymond being injured has a revolver on his person. Raymond gives it to him as they confront the enemy. Although tension builds the enemy flees and they go back across the beach. Raymond leaves him behind as he pushes ahead. He is now alone walking across the sun scorched beach, eventually he comes across the man who cut Raymond up earlier that day. He is very nervous at the sight of him and reaches to hold on to the revolver. As he approaches him across the beach the man (lying in the sand reaches in his pocket), the inevitable ensues and he shots the man to death. He is put on trial and sentenced to be decapitated. The story was very good, and I feel the ending was so. Through it Camus’s writing was very well done and digestible to the reader. The existentialist’s view on life was a good experience, good to understand and learn from.